Symmedians
by S.Walden
Summary: Takeru is hiding something from his family, but what it is, no one's sure. Since Yamato can't weasel it out of him, Jyou volunteers instead.
1. Chapter 1: Algorithm

Chapter One: Algorithm

"Hey, Takeru?" Yamato called. "Remind me again why I'm letting you cook?"

"...because I can't live off of pizza?" the younger brother replied, thumbing through bare cabinets. Heck, the bachelors didn't even have a _pantry_, just a loose shelving unit stocked with a bunch of ingredients that couldn't be combined to make anything. "It's no wonder you're skinny as a rail and Dad's poor all the time."

"Screw you," Yamato muttered, thinking, _Go back to Mom's if you want to live in pure Hell._

Takeru sighed. He had a good idea of what the other hadn't said. "Mom asked about you last week."

The older blonde barely made a noise as he laid on the couch, guitar against his chest, struggling to think of anything.

"I told her you guys were doing well," Takeru continued. He figured he may as well say what he wanted to say, even if it meant an hour of silence for the hatred in Yamato's heart to wear off at the mere mention of their mother. Takeru finally found a few cups of rice and a can of tuna and decided to throw that together. As he waited for the rice to boil, he didn't go join his brother in the living room. Finally, a few notes trickled towards the kitchen, but it was deafened just as quickly. When Takeru had finished dinner, he called for his brother, but there was no response. Takeru leaned over the kitchen counter and saw that Yamato was soundly sleeping... for a change.

Takeru took the time to think to himself. About how their house always smelled different from Natsuko's. How there was never any light. Sometimes he wondered what would have happened if things had been reversed or if things had turned out... like Yamato thought they would. "You hate me for that, don't you?" the younger brother whispered, staring down at the half-empty plate.

"Whhhyy would I hate you?" his brother drawled from the other room. "Jeez, I thought you would never wake me up."

Takeru squeaked.

Yamato laughed and sat up lazily from the couch, then stretched and joined his brother at the table. "So, cough it up, why do I hate you?"

"...how do you know I was even talking about you?"

Yamato gave his brother a look that said, "Oh, come on, who else would you be talking about?"

"...I just..." Takeru started, and held his fingers to his lips as if to bite his nails. Something he used to do as a kid. "Mom."

"What about her?" Yamato remarked, sitting back in the chair. Immediately he folded his arms and refused to look Takeru in the face.

"Do you... Are you..." Takeru struggled to find the words. "Do you resent me?"

"Because...?" Yamato pressed.

"Any reason, really," the other said, moving rice around his plate. All the tuna was gone. "Because she didn't hurt me or because I was lucky enough or something, I don't know..."

"You're my brother, I'm not allowed to hate you," Yamato chuckled. "Come on, what did she say to you? You never act like this."

Takeru sighed. That was true, but it wasn't because of her. They were more because of... well, himself. "I should clean everything up before I go. Maybe then, Jyou will think that you actually do something for a change."

Yamato frowned, "Don't change the subject."

Takeru stood and washed the pot from the rice maker and his own plate. Yamato fumed behind him and finally stood, embracing his brother. "Please, don't keep things bottled in like I do."

Takeru shook his brother away, "Please, let me be."

"Takeru..." Yamato whispered.

"I'll be late for church with Mom if I don't hurry," the younger sibling insisted. Yamato gathered Takeru's tote bag and handed it to him as he left. He barely said goodbye as he rushed down the hall. Yamato was about to shut the door when he heard Takeru... stumble? He poked his head out of the apartment.

"Sorry, Jyou-san," Takeru whispered, bowed, and headed on his way.

Jyou smiled and shook his head, "That kid gets wierder every day."

"Jyou," Yamato breathed. "Thank God."

Jyou joined his boyfriend at the door, "Well, I didn't realize my prescence was so needed."

Yamato pulled Jyou inside and shut the door, startling the boy so badly, he nearly lost his glasses. He did drop his schoolbag, however, because within seconds he could barely breathe under the force of the other's lips and body pressed against him.

Finally, when Jyou thought he was going to pass out from lack of air, Yamato let go. "Um..." Jyou whispered, "I appreciate the warm welcome and all, but... what's wrong?"

Yamato slogged over to the couch and flopped. "It's Takeru."

Jyou laughed uneasily, "Uh, I'm not sure if he should make you do something like that..."

"He's just stressing me out lately," Yamato replied as Jyou walked over and sat in the middle of the living room floor. "He's been acting strange since about a week ago."

"What do you think is going on with him?"

"I'm not sure," Yamato replied.

"Did something happen?"

"I can't think of anything..."

"What happened when he was here this morning?" Jyou pressed, anxious to help.

"We were talking about Mom and..." Yamato took a breath, "And he asked me if I _resented_ him."

"Why?"

"He said I would hate him because he didn't end up fucked up like me, basically," Yamato muttered, rolling over.

"That doesn't sound like Takeru," Jyou sighed. "Maybe..."

"No, Jyou!" Yamato cried from where his face was buried in the couch cushions. "Don't ask. Don't talk to him. I mean this in a good way, but he's a little liar."

Jyou smiled. "He just doesn't want to hurt you. I'm sure he would tell me the truth."

"Oh, come on," the blonde snickered, sitting up, "He's going to willingly tell his brother's _boyfriend_ whatever is bothering him. He knows you'll tell me."

"Takeru and I have been friends, somehow, longer than you and I have," Jyou smiled. "Let me talk to him."

"God damn it, Jyou, if you fuck up the only tangible family relationship I have left, so help me Digi-Jesus-"

"I swear, I'll be gentle," Jyou smiled.


	2. Chapter 2: Pythagoras

A/N: This chapter hints at the future direction of this fic, which is Yamakeru. So if you don't like that, don't keep reading past this chapter. I have 2 more chapters written, but I'm not pleased with them at the moment, so I'm not sure when I'll post them. Anyway, enjoy, the ending to this will be interesting... I think this will be five chapters total, so I may actually finish something for once! Now, R&R!

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: Pythagoras<p>

Jyou, at one point, had been lucky enough to live next to the little tyke, when the kid had been a tyke. Now, Jyou always felt like he was drifting further away as his parents moved closer to work (and mental hospitals) alike. If it hadn't been for those few lucky Sundays, Jyou would never see anyone. It didn't always end up like this- the two of them half awake in the humidity of their transgressions. Sometimes they actually managed to hang out with the other kids. However, today was just one of those days where he could tell Yamato wanted to be alone. Oddly enough, the blonde always had some need to be social at least once in awhile. Jyou, on the other hand, would rather just sit at home and not have to look at a human being again, most days.

Then again, he hated being at home, too. Becuase that meant studying. That meant being under his father's thumb. That meant watching his mother suffer. Jyou sighed.

Yamato stirred next to him, "What's wrong?"

"Just breathing," the other responded. "Are you ever going to move out from there?"

"No," the blonde said, shoving his face into Jyou's back, "I'll stay here forever."

"Well, you can't. You know I have class at three."

"Ugh," Yamato whined, rolling over. "Skip, for once."

"Why, so my father can take another attempt at my life?"

Yamato frowned, "If he does, I can kill him for you."

"Don't even joke," the other said, sitting up. Yamato never did get used to seeing the other without his glasses on. The entire thing was one unique mystery to him. He thought once, when they were younger, if he tried on Jyou's glasses, maybe he would know what the other's vision was like, but instead he just ended up with a headache. Instead, the younger male liked to focus more on Jyou's hair. Yamato was proud that he had convinced him to grow it out, because now he could twirl his fingers in it whenever he wanted. "Won't your father be back soon anyway?"

"He doesn't care," Yamato remarked.

"Still, it's rude," Jyou sighed. There was no getting through to the boy when he actually had a lusty streak, contrary to the belief that he was some sort of wild hound. "I won't disrespect your father, Yamato, and I won't be late for class." Jyou sighed, "Sometimes, I wonder if you're a bad influence..."

As Jyou said this, Yamato was busy getting a cigarette. Blue eyes blinked in psuedo-shock as a response, "What?"

"Like that! What you're doing right now. You know, I had beautiful virgin aveoli before I met you."

"I don't know what you just said, but you don't even smoke as much as me. Besides, _you like it_."

"There are plenty of things you _like_, so maybe I'll just tell the world about those, too."

"Butt," Yamato remarked. Jyou stood and walked around the other to the bathroom down the hall, where he washed up. When he was done, the blonde hadn't moved an inch, but his expression was as sour as it had been an hour earlier.

"Still wondering about Takeru?" Jyou sighed.

"I can't help it. He doesn't... act like that," Yamato replied.

Jyou found his clothes off the floor, "This from the kid that believed you abandoned him after a little flying bowling ball told him so."

"He was just a kid then, Jyou," Yamato warned.

"He's still a kid now, even if he doesn't think so. Heck, he's in the most tomultous stage of life."

"You really need to ease up on your grammar courses," the blonde said.

"Yamato?"

"Huh?"

"I love you."

"...I love you, too."

* * *

><p>Jyou crumpled the paper in his hands. <em>An A-. A fucking A-.<em> He wanted to just breakdown and cry at his desk. Everyone else was cheering for him, including his best friend and co-major Nana. _That's good enough for you or me, but not my father..._ The boy left class early. Maybe if he was lucky, he could catch his father in a good mood or something.

Then, he remembered. "I've gotta talk to Takeru... He should be home by now."

Jyou's classes were in town via a building near the JFCR, which wasn't too far from where Natsuko and Takeru were staying, either, for good reason. He could hop over quickly and did so on the subway. When he got to the building, he gave a wave to Iori who was going to kendo, and headed up the stairs. Jyou struggled for a moment to remember which apartment it was. He had only been there a few times to return Takeru when Yamato was in no shape to. Finally, he found it, noticing the cat in the window. He remembered it igniting his allergies before.

Jyou gave it a knock and waited. Natsuko answered the door. Admitedlly, the two didn't know one another that well, but the woman had never been vile to him. Still, Yamato's bias had made it's own snug place in his heart somewhere and he couldn't help but resist the urge to throw her off the balcony. "Miss Takaishi."

"Jyou-kun, what are you doing here?" she asked. Not in a mean way- just... asked. In fact, he noticed the woman didn't look too well. Pale, a little tired. Perhaps the paper had been riding her hard since there wasn't much to print since the Digital World was sealed away.

"I'm just here to talk to Takeru. I won't be long, ma'am."

Natsuko smiled and nodded weakly, then let the boy inside. Jyou waited in the small hallway that led to their livingspace. Takeru appeared a few moments later, a little hesitant. However, when his mother passed behind him saying she would go lay down a minute, he decided it would be better to just get things over with. "Jyou, what do you want?"

_No -san, that's not a good sign._ "I'm just here to ask you something."

"Let me guess, Yamato put you up to this?"

"Actually, he pretty much threatened to kill me if I came over here at all..."

"I can imagine," Takeru muttered. "Come on, come sit down..."

Jyou removed his shoes this time. He hadn't expected the boy to be so... cooperative. They took a seat in the living room. Natsuko was in her room with the door closed. Jyou could hear meditation music, something Nana loved to play all the time. Jyou found it relaxing, too, whenever he had a big exam and just needed to space. "Your mother... is she alright?"

"Jyou, I didn't expect you to come by and you're smart enough to know that she isn't alright, so I'm not going to deny it."

"Is this why... you asked Yamato if he resented you?" Jyou said, getting to the point.

Takeru raised an eyebrow, "What? No. But still, we haven't told my father, yet. So please, don't tell Yamato, either."

"The cancer's back," Jyou sighed.

Takeru nodded. "So, I was right, Yamato did put you up to this."

"No, but he was really concerned about you, Takeru," Jyou insisted. "I probably shouldn't say this, but he implied that you're the only family he has left. I guess him and his father aren't getting along lately."

"I had no idea," Takeru whispered. "Why?"

"Search me," Jyou replied. "Have they ever fought... ever?"

"No," Takeru shook his head, "I guess something finally broke. Maybe Dad knows."

"Natsuko may have mentioned it," Jyou added. "Anyway, you're still avoiding my question. Why would you ask Yamato something like that?"

"...I can't tell you, Jyou. I just can't."

"I won't tell him," Jyou insisted. "I just want to tell him you're okay."

"Then tell him _that_," Takeru insisted, bundling his fists in his lap.

"Takeru... you owe me a favor," Jyou insisted.

"Huh, since when?"

"How many times have I saved your little butt from Veggiemon and drownings do you not owe me a favor?" Jyou snorted. "So, come on, out with it."

"I..." Takeru whispered. Jyou wasn't going to let him weasel out of this. The blonde wondered how he was going to explain something so complicated that he didn't understand it himself. "I can't really explain it..."

"Try?"

"...but I love my brother."

"And...?"

Takeru looked Jyou in the eyes, "No, I mean, I _love_ Yamato."


	3. Chapter 3: Equilateral

A/N: If it wasn't obvious, this will be Yamakeru, so if you don't like, don't read. Jyoumato fans won't be disappointed, however...

Chapter 3: Equilateral

"Have you told him?" Jyou blurted.

If Takeru's eyes were bullets, Jyou would've been dead at the statement. "Do you think I would have told him something like that?! After everything between him and Mom?!" the blonde hissed.

"Well, what did you want me to say?!" Jyou shrieked back in the same whisper.

"...I suppose you won't want to be around me now, either," Takeru sighed. "Hikari can't even look at me anymore."

Jyou wasn't even going to begin to try and explain _Hikari_ or any other sane person's reaction, but he could explain his own, "I'm not going to disown you, Takeru, if that's the word I could describe it with..."

Takeru began to cry.

"Have you thought maybe you're just confused?" Jyou wondered.

"N-No," Takeru sniffled and grabbed onto Jyou's shoulders, falling into the other's chest. He cried harder, detecting the faint scent of smoke, the smell of his brother, on him. "I won't go into details, but trust me, I know."

"Thank you for that, I guess," Jyou sighed. He was a bit conflicted in that moment himself. Jyou and Yamato had been lovers of sorts since all those times four years ago, even if it was mostly an emotional thing until recently, and now, he had... well, competition. From the most least expected person! Still, as the boy sobbed into him, Jyou couldn't hold back his compassion. He hated himself for a moment as he rubbed Takeru's back. "Everything's going to be okay, okay?" _How many times have you done this exact same thing for Yamato?_ Jyou thought. _They sob just the same. It's kind of cute, actually. Two siblings raised in seperate households, so similar in the end. Even right down to this admitance._

* * *

><p>"Jyou." Yamato had his hands on the wall in front of him as if being strip searched, but he was merely trying to hold himself up under the weight of his own fears. "You can't tell anyone."<p>

"You're probably just having seperation anxiety. That's why you feel like that," Jyou explained.

"No, Jyou... I've felt like this my entire life, as long as I can remember. And now, I can't help but wonder if I'll just end up like her... a monster... and hurt him... like she hurt me. Please... tell me I'm not..." Jyou placed a hand on the other's shoulder but he shook Jyou away and curled up on the floor. "I couldn't stay with him at the amusement park, knowing we were alone, what I might do."

"But you _didn't_, Yamato," Jyou reminded.

"Yeah, you're right," the blonde replied. "It doesn't matter anyway. We have eachother now."

"Yamato, I won't stay with you if I'm just going to be second in line," Jyou replied. "I need to know if you want to confront yourself or not, because either way I'm here for you, but in what capacity, I'm not sure."

"No, there's too many things that could go wrong if I acted on all this and it's just a whim, right? It's not worth destroying Takeru's life for him to know the truth. I _know_ I love you, Jyou. I know I do."

"...if you're sure, Yamato."

"Just promise me... you would die to protect him. He means everything to me."

"I promise."

* * *

><p>"Jyou-san," Takeru whispered.<p>

Jyou opened his eyes. The room was dark. "T-Takeru, what time is it?"

"We fell asleep," Takeru replied. "You were stirring and it woke me."

Jyou sat up, knocking the blonde from his chest. Takeru staggered upright. _Still clothed, thank God, _the older one thought. "I'm so late. My father is going to kill me."

"Jyou-san," Takeru insisted as his friend rushed off. "Thanks for just... giving me someone to cry on."

Jyou nodded and hurried out the door. By the time he got into the dead of downtown, it was six-thirty. He should have been home at four. He once hesitated during moments like this, but he knew it was always better to push forward than worry... and he was an expert at worrying.

When he began to kick off his shoes, his brother Shuu greeted him. "Hey, man, did you just dodge a bullet."

"Shuu?"

"Yeah. Dad's not home. He had an emergency call a few hours ago. He was steamed then, but I'm sure by the time he gets home, he won't care anymore."

"He will when he hears about my A minus," Jyou sighed.

"Where were you, anyway?"

"At a friend's house."

"_Yamato_'s?" Shuu teased.

"Actually, no, his brother's place. They're having some difficulty. I was just trying to help."

"Trying to help? So you didn't actually accomplish anything," Shuu chuckled. The two began walking down the hall to their rooms. Jyou glanced over at the living room. His mother was in her chair, staring off into space. She was always like that when she actually took her medication. It made him sick. He remembered how his Mom used to be, before Dad forced her to take them. She was lively and creative and beautiful... and then, damn near suicidal for weeks at a time, before the process started all over again. He knew this was better for her, but he couldn't _believe_ it was better.

"It's complicated," Jyou continued, stopping at his own room. "What do you care, anyway?" _It's not like any of you ever come out of the woodwork except to pry into my personal life._

"Something crazy must be up if you're being this much of a douche, Jyou," Shuu sighed. "Still... how long do you think you can hide this from Dad? He thinks you're at an extra cram class and he's going to look into it."

"I'll take care of it, Shuu, now leave me alone," Jyou remarked, storming into his room and shutting the door. He removed his glasses and ran his hand over his face. "...because I always take care of it. I have to."


End file.
